• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.171-174
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• 2012

In order to study the feasibility of utilizing bivoltine foundation cross (FC2) males of the silkworm as male components with Pure Mysore (PM), six foundation crosses viz,CSR2 x CSR27, CSR27 x CSR2, CSR27 x CSR50, CSR50 x CSR27, CSR2 x CSR50 and CSR50 x CSR2 along with CSR2 pure breed were assessed for performance of parental crop,grainage, rearing and reeling performance. The foundation crosses exhibited better performance than CSR2 as a parental crop and male component which resulted in higher egg recovery. Though there was not much difference between PM crossed with FC2 and CSR2 males pertaining to important bioassay parameters, PM x CSR2 exhibited superiority in reeling traits particularly with reelability and raw silk %. This study reveals that FC2 seed cocoons can be utilized during exigency when there is a dearth for CSR2 seed cocoons but not regularly.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 1998

Mainly due to limited genetic resources available and also urgent need for hybrids suitable to local conditions, conventional theories and regular methods for bivoltine silkworm breeding are not easily applicable in such a tropical country as Sri Lanka which is recently planning to scale-up the silk industry. A simplified but practical methodology was introduced to overcome such constraints. Through application of such modified informal breeding methods, two hybrids named DP0308 and DP0314 were selected for cocoon production. Details of the altered method of germplasm improvement in the silkworm are presented, along with combining ability and heritability estimates for six parental pure lines in a half-diallel cross.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2007

The response of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. to phytoecdysteroid (PE) when administered at different ages of $5^{th}$ instar was studied in the popular bivoltine ($CSR2{\times}CSR4$) and multi${\times}$bivoltine ($PM{\times}CSR2$) silkworm hybrids, reared on the Victory-1 variety of mulberry leaves. PE was administered to $5^{th}$ instar silkworm per os at a rate of $250{\mu}g$ per 100 larvae to different batches of silkworm at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 hrs and at the onset of cocoon spinning when a few larvae were ripe. The larval and mounting duration, cocoon yield and cocoon characters were influenced by PE. The intensity of influence was dependent on the time of application. The larvae treated at the beginning of the instar, improved the economic traits significantly with a marginal increase in larval duration. In the larvae treated at the middle of the instar, larval duration was shortened remarkably but the economic traits were adversely affected. This particular treatment can become a good management strategy in the case of mulberry leaf shortage or disease incidence. In the larvae treated at the onset of cocoon spinning, the mounting duration was substantially reduced without much effect on the cocoon traits which would be a big benefit in commercial sericulture. The physiological significance of varied response of silkworm to PE administration is discussed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.213-216
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• 2002

Food consumption and conversion efficiency of new bivoltine hybrids (CSR2$\times$CSR4 and CSR2$\times$CSR5) were studied under restricted feeding levels (10, 20 and 30% less quantity of mulberry leaves). The data were compared with a control fed with standard quantum of feed as per the recommendation. The nutritional indices parameters i. e. ingests, digesta, approximate digestibility (%) and reference ratio were recorded higher in control batches compared to less feed batches while nutritional efficiency parameters i. e., ECI and ECD to cocoon and shell were recorded significantly higher in restricted feeding level batches. This increase is attributed due to the physiological adaptation under nutritional stress condition.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.63-72
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• 2006

Parthenogenesis, the development of unfertilized ovum opens new perspectives in silkworm breeding in the development of homozygous breeds. In order to improve induction of artificial parthenogenesis in the excised unfertilized eggs of different breeds of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L., a new method was devised and the results were compared with the routine method. General and specific combining abilities and hybrid vigour of newly developed bivoltine breeds were analyzed utilizing bivoltine breeds viz., $CSR_2,\;CSR_4,\;CSR_{17}\;and\;NB_4D_2$ Estimation of GCA revealed superiority of the breeds, $DNB_1$ for eight characters followed by $DNB_4$ for five characters. Among the testers, $CSR_2$ was found good general combiner for seven characters followed by $CSR_{17}$ for four characters. A great deal of variations was observed among the hybrids studied. Five hybrids namely, $DNB_1{\times}CSR_2,\;DNB_4{\times}CSR_4,\;DNB_4{\times}NB_4D_2,\;DNB_6{\times}CSR_2\;and\;DNB_7{\times}CSR_2$ showed significant SCA effects for 5-6 characters. The hybrid, $DNB_4{\times}CSR_4$ showed its superiority by expressing significant hybrid vigour over BPV for 7 characters. Majority of the hybrids exhibited significant hybrid vigour for survival rate, yield/10,000 larvae by weight, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, filament length and denier.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.79-85
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• 2010

Eight bivoltine inbred lines of silkworm Bombyx mori L. viz., AP8, AP10, AP17 and AP18 with marked female and plain male larvae and AP1, AP54, AP71 and AP72 with all plain larvae synthesized from Chinese commercial hybrids were evaluated for their general combining ability (gca), specific combining ability (sca) and reciprocal effects for eight quantitative traits. The line AP18 was found to be best general combiner by virtue of significant positive and positive gca effects for seven out of eight traits studied followed by the lines AP10, AP8 and AP17. Seven hybrids recorded significant positive and positive sca effects for all the traits under study reflecting the interaction of alleles, additive and non additive gene action and dominant effects expressed by genes. Among the 28 reciprocal hybrids, AP54$\times$AP18 and AP1$\times$AP17 revealed significant reciprocal effects for the six traits followed by AP54$\times$AP8 for five and AP10$\times$AP71 for four traits.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 2007

A Silkworm breeding programme was designed to develop a robust but productive bivoltine silkworm hybrid of Bombyx mori L. suitable for rearing throughout the year in tropical climate by utilizing indigenous polyvoltine and productive bivoltine breeds. The breeding was carried out under high temperature ($36^{\circ}C{\pm}1^{\circ}C$) and low humidity ($50{\pm}5%$) conditions in the environmental chamber. By $F_{12}$, three oval and three dumbbell breeds were isolated with higher survival and productive merits. These breeds were utilized in the hybrid evaluation along with other popular breeds. Based on combining ability test results, the hybrid $SR_2{\times}SR_5$ was selected for large scale testing and evaluated in different seasons. The evaluation studies indicated that the hybrid has higher viability and productive merits and it is suitable to rear throughout the year. The hybrid $SR_2{\times}SR_5$ recorded a survival of 92.0%, cocoon shell weight of 0.417 g, cocoon shell percentage of 23.0 and a filament length of 1042 meters under hot and dry conditions of environmental chamber compared to the control thermo-tolerant hybrid $CSR18{\times}CSR19$.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.249-254
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• 2004

Dietary supplementation of sodium nitrate with different concentrations 50, 100, 200, 500, 700 and 1000 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml of single, two, three and four feeds to fifth instar larvae of biovoltine NB$_4$D$_2$ race of the silkworm, B. mori resulted in significant increase in the food conversion, conversion rate and conversion efficiency $K_1$ and $K_2$. However, there were significant decrease in the food assimilation, assimilation rate and assimilation efficiency in the sodium nitrate treated groups as compared with that of the corresponding parameters of the carrier control. This indicates that the administration of sodium nitrate may stimulate metabolic activities, thereby influencing conversion of food into body weight in the bivoltine silkworm, B. mori.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.51-56
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• 2006

Use of products containing phytoecdysteroid (PE) as active principle has become popular in prominent sericultural areas of India for hastening larval maturation events and synchronizing cocoon spinning activities as an obvious advantage is assured. At times, the present recommendation of administering PE at the onset of spinning results in peak labour requirement at odd hrs. To enable making recommendation for the use of PE on $multi{\times}bivoltine$ silkworm hybrids based on the climatic conditions prevailing in different areas especially with regard to temperature, the experiment was taken up to determine proper treatment times so that the induced spinning will be more orderly and the labour can be leveraged more efficiently. Different brackets of low ($18-22^{\circ}C$), medium ($24-28^{\circ}C$) and high ($29-32^{\circ}C$) temperature were simulated during the latter half of V larval instar and cocoon spinning. PE was administered to $multi{\times}bivoltine$ silkworm ($BL67{\times}CSR101$) hybrid batches as per the recommended dose at three different times viz., 10 am, 4 pm and 10 pm. Three replicates of 100 larvae were maintained for each treatment. Absolute controls were also maintained in each temperature range to compare the results. Cumulative maturation percentage was recorded at 6 hrs interval to ascertain peak mounting span. The influence of the treatment on the cocoon traits also was studied. Based on the peak mounting span, it was evident that in low temperature 10 pm treatment would be better. In medium and high temperature, treatment at 4 pm proved to be a better option. The influence of the treatment times at different temperature range on labour management is discussed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.34-43
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• 2023

The eighteen (18) F₁ hybrid combinations were tested to identify potential combinations adaptable to type 1 climatic conditions in the Philippines. The six (6) bivoltine purelines (DMMMSU 108, DMMMSU 109, DMMMSU 110, DMMMSU 111, DMMMSU 113, and DMMMSU 119); and three (3) multivoltine purelines (DMMMSU 1000, DMMMSU 1007, and DMMMSU 1014), were crossed (multivoltine x bivoltine) in a mating plan. These were arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), replicated three times, and analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). A test of significance was done using ANOVA across years and Tukey's Honest Significant Difference Test (HSD). The multiple trait evaluation index (EI) method was also used in the identification of potential F₁ hybrids. Three major phases were done: (1) parental rearing of multivoltine and bivoltine pure lines for breed multiplication; (2) hybridization process; and (3) evaluation of F₁ hybrids. Rearing evaluations were conducted for three consecutive years. Based from the three evaluations, 10 potential crosses were identified: DMMMSU MV-12, DMMMSU MV-11, DMMMSU MV-13, DMMMSU MV-16, DMMMSU MV-07, DMMMSU MV-14, DMMMSU MV-05, DMMMSU MV-09, DMMMSU MV-03, and DMMSU MV-10. The topmost combinations with the best economic and commercial characters and are consistently adaptable during two (2) cropping seasons were DMMMSU MV-07, DMMMSU MV-12, DMMMSU MV-05, DMMMSU MV-09 and DMMMSU MV-11. These newly-identified F₁ hybrids are considered potential breeds that could improve cocoon production.